The Merger

by Loni Ree

  Not long after Lukas leaves, I'm getting ready for work and hear my phone ding, letting me know I have a text. I'm so excited because the only person who would be texting me so early in the morning is Lukas. My excitement quickly turns to horror when Marta’s name flashes across the screen, and there is a video attached. The text reads:

  I had a wonderful time last night with your husband, it was too good not to share. Let me know what you think!

  The curiosity is too much, and I regrettably watch the video. Marta is wearing the same slinky black teddy I watched her buy yesterday at La Femme. The worst part is watching her having sex with my husband. After ten seconds of video, I lose all the contents of my stomach in the toilet. Once I finish vomiting, anger toward Lukas courses through me. How can he be so sweet and loving to me one minute and then stab me in the back with that viper the next? He had sex with her last night and then came home and made love so passionately to me this morning. The thought sickens me, and I vomit again.

  It is well known; Lukas is always upfront and honest in his relationships. Because he has been treating me so well, I assumed he no longer meant what he said in the beginning about being free to see women outside of our marriage. I call in sick at La Femme, and I'm crying so hysterically Annie can barely understand me. She keeps asking what's wrong, and I tell her I'm not feeling well and hang up on her mid-sentence.

  My phone starts ringing within minutes, and Lukas’ name pops up. Right now, the jerk can fuck off, so I send the call to voicemail. He starts texting me over and over again, and I ignore all the texts. He can bite me. I stay seated on the bathroom floor with my back to the wall, hugging my knees, and rocking myself back and forth.

  Marcy keeps knocking on the bathroom door. "Madison, Lukas called. He is worried about you. He said you're not answering your phone, and he wanted me to check on you. Are you okay?"

  After clearing my voice several times, I call to her. "Please, leave me alone. Tell Lukas I'm not up to talking now and to leave me alone."

  After I hear her talking to someone on the phone outside the door, I sit there on the floor and concentrate on not falling apart.

  Lukas

  What the fuck is going on? When I left earlier, she was well-loved, had a satisfied smile on her face, and was getting ready for work. Now both Annie and Marcy say she's absolutely hysterical and locked in the bathroom. Something has happened, and for the life of me, I have no idea what it could be. I was supposed to meet with the prosecutor and detectives working on the case against Marta this morning, but I told Max, Drew, and Thomas to reschedule the meeting. It’ll have to wait until I figure out what the fuck is going on at home.

  Of course, the traffic would absolutely suck today, and it's taking twice as long to get home as it usually takes. Marcy keeps checking on Madison for me, and she says Madison is still in the bathroom with the door locked. Marcy hasn't heard any noise coming from inside the bathroom for a while. All the possible causes of her distress are running through my mind and scaring the fuck out of me. If someone has done this to her, there is going to be hell to pay when I find that motherfucker.

  When we finally get to the house, I jump out of the car before Wyatt brings the vehicle to a complete stop and take off running for our rooms. I get to the bathroom and find her curled up in a ball, up against the wall, hugging her knees, and rocking back and forth. What could have her so upset?

  After kneeling at her side, I gently push her hair back from the front of her face and ask her, "Sweetheart, what's going on? Why are you so upset?"

  When she picks up her head and looks at me, she looks like a pitiful little mess, and my heart breaks. Her poor little face is all red and tear-stained, and her eyes are bloodshot. All of a sudden, the tears start flowing nonstop down her face again. She picks up her phone and pulls something up on the screen.

  She hands it to me and screams, "How could you? With her of all people. She's always so mean to me. She constantly rubs it in my face how much prettier she is than me and how much more you prefer her. You came home last night after being with her and then had the nerve to have sex with me this morning. How could you?"

  Shock hits me. Madison's hand is shaking so hard, I have to take the phone to see what’s on the screen. After watching the video, I want to throw the phone across the room, but I control myself because we’re going to need it for evidence. I grab her face and kiss her hard.

  As she tries to pull back, I shush her and beg," Madison, please listen. I swear to you the video is a fake. I'm going to take it to Drew and have it investigated. But I know for a fact, whoever is in the video, is not me. I have not been alone in a room with Marta, much less had sex with her, in over five months. I have never preferred anyone over you. No one in the world is prettier than you.”

  I wipe the tears from her eyes and kiss the tip of her nose. “I would never do anything to hurt you. Marta was fired from Sterling-Ryan not long ago, and we’re investigating her for stealing company secrets and selling them to a competitor. Her deception is part of the reason I’ve been so busy at Sterling–Ryan lately."

  She's staring at me from her position on the floor with a shocked expression on her face. She leans her head back against the wall and whispers softly, "Really?"

  After nodding yes, I kiss her on the forehead, pick her up off the floor, and carry her into the sitting room. I sit on the sofa with her in my lap. The time has come for us to have a long talk. "Madison, I want you to know you can disregard all of the trash I spouted off before we were married. I could never hurt you by having other women outside of our marriage.

  “You will never have to worry about me being unfaithful to you. I know I'm working ungodly hours right now, but I'm hoping, once your brother is up to speed and I can get a handle on the damage Marta has done at Sterling–Ryan, I will have more time to spend with you. I do promise, no matter what, to be faithful, and I expect the same from you." I hold her tightly, and she slowly starts to relax in my arms.

  Now, she has a relieved smile on her face, and I can finally take a deep breath. She leans over and gives me a soft kiss on the lips and says to me, "You have no idea how shattered I was when I received her awful video. I never want to go through something so terrible again. Please, don’t cheat on me.”

  “That’s something you never have to worry about. I’m going to take your phone and turn it over to Drew's security guys. I'm sure they'll be able to find how she faked the video.” I play with her hair as we finally breathe easier.

  “I had a meeting planned with the prosecutor and detectives on her case this morning, but I had to cancel to come home and check on you. It is too much of a coincidence that she pulled this shit on the same day as that meeting. We are concerned she still may have someone within Sterling–Ryan helping her. Her little stunt today proves we’re right.”

  Madison turns and looks at me and shakes her head. “That woman is all kinds of screwed up in the head.”

  “Don’t I fucking know it. Maybe she also thought the video would cause serious damage to our marriage, and she saw the damage as a bonus. It is hard to comprehend how that evil bitch's mind works. But I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect you from her viciousness in the future. I will also make sure she never steps foot in La Femme again," I promise as she lays her head on my shoulder.

  Our first major incident—well, maybe second if you consider the day without her answering my texts and calls—in our marriage and we came through with flying colors. We are starting to get the hang of this marriage business.

  11

  Madison

  In the two weeks since Marta approached me at La Femme and then sent that awful video, Lukas has been home every night. He and Drew are working on figuring out who is working with Marta. Lukas has promised to be faithful, so I no longer worry about Marta destroying my marriage. I only hope they arrest her soon to relieve some of Lukas' stress.

  Drew was able to show me how the video was digitally changed and an o
ld video of Lukas was placed on top of a new video of Marta. I'm still angry because she has a real video of Lukas, but I have the real thing. So, in the end, I win.

  Today, I feel too sick to go to work. Lukas got up and left about half an hour ago. I barely had the energy to tell him goodbye. I’m debating staying home today since my stomach is rebelling at something I ate for dinner last night. I barely make it to the bathroom in time to empty my stomach, and now my decision has been made for me. After texting Annie to let her know I’m not feeling well, I lie down to nap.

  I'm almost asleep when the ringing of my phone startles me. Lukas is calling, so I know I have to answer. Before I can even say hello, he's already going off. "You should have called and let me know you are sick."

  "I'm not really too sick. Something I ate last night has upset my stomach." I try to assure him, but he is talking over my explanation.

  Apparently, he does not like my answer because he still going on and on. He's talking so fast, and I'm only catching about half of what he is saying. "...taking you to the doctor. Be ready in twenty minutes."

  "Wait. Wait. Wait. I'm not sick enough to go to the doctor. I told you something from dinner last night upset my stomach, if you’d listened for two-seconds, instead of talking over me. Please, calm down. Everything is fine. Going to the doctor is a waste of time." I try again, futilely.

  It appears I'm going to the doctor. That's great; I freaking hate doctors. He continues talking over me. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes, and your tiny ass had better be ready, or I’ll dress you myself."

  An hour later, we’re sitting in the doctor's office waiting to be seen, and you would think I’m dying or something from the way Lukas is pacing back and forth in the waiting room. The lady behind the desk went in the back five minutes ago to avoid him. If we aren't taken back to an examination room soon, the top of his head may blow off.

  Finally, a sweet little nurse calls my name, and we are taken back to a room. The doctor is a nice-looking, middle-aged man which seems to piss off Lukas even more. I figure, once the doctor hears all of my symptoms, he’ll agree with me and we can get out of here quickly. Of course, I’m too optimistic. The doctor wants to run a few tests to make Lukas feel better. The cheery nurse comes in to draw blood and asks me to give a urine sample, and then we wait for the doctor again.

  When the doctor comes in, I’m ready to be done and go home. He's all smiles, so I figure he has good news and we’re good to go. "Well, guys, we have definitely figured out the cause of Madison's nausea and vomiting from the urine test. We are going to go ahead and send off the blood work to check everything.”

  He starts writing on a chart and announces, “Congratulations, guys, you’re pregnant. Since you use the birth control shot and have irregular periods, we’ll have to use an ultrasound to determine how far along you are. I can recommend a wonderful OB/GYN. You should set up an appointment for the ultrasound as soon as possible."

  Lukas and I sit there in stunned silence, staring at each other. Then, Lukas gets the biggest smile on his face, and I know everything is going to be okay. We leave Dr. Christopher's office with the name of an OB/GYN and some information on early pregnancy.

  Lukas

  We get home from the doctor, and I take Madison to our room and proceed to show her how happy she has made me. Once she has recovered and we have both showered, I lie there with her head on my chest and think about the day. I had been so worried about her all morning, and when the doctor said she was pregnant, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

  I fell in love with Madison a long time ago, but now I feel like my heart is going to explode in my chest. I'm so excited to see her tiny body grow round with our child. I know she is going to be the most beautiful little mother in the world.

  "Madison, baby, I want you to take it easy from now on. On the way home, we agreed not to tell any of the family about our baby so soon, but I want to tell Marcy so she can be extra careful in her food choices from now on."

  Madison smiles at me and says, "Of course, we can tell Marcy if you want. I want to do whatever is best for our baby."

  "I also want you worry-free. If something stresses you, you let me know so I can worry about it. Okay?" She smiles and nods, and I relax.

  We lie on the bed for the rest of the evening, making plans and discussing all the things we need to do soon. I keep running my hand over Madison's flat stomach over and over again. I look forward to it expanding with the proof of our child. Getting the situation at Sterling-Ryan over quickly becomes my top priority. I am already missing way too much.

  Madison

  Today is our appointment with Dr. Smith to see how far along I am. Over the last week, my pregnancy has hit me pretty hard. I feel sick every morning, my boobs are hurting, and my emotions seem to be all over the place. We haven't told anyone, except Marcy, because we have no idea how far the pregnancy has progressed.

  Lukas has been so happy, and his excitement comforts me. We get to Dr. Smith's office and are taken to a room right away. The nurse tells me to put on a gown, and they'll be right in with us.

  The technician comes into the room, explains everything she's going to do, and proceeds with the ultrasound. I see the screen, but nothing makes sense. Even hearing little heartbeats chugging away seems so unreal to me. I look over, and I swear I see tears in Lukas' eyes.

  The technician laughs and tells us, "I have a surprise for you guys. Do you see right here?" She points at the two black blobs on the screen and continues, "Two little munchkins are playing around in there. I need to get some measurements, and then Dr. Smith will discuss the results from the ultrasound when you consult with her in a few minutes."

  Lukas and I just stare at each other with our mouths open in amazement for a moment. “Are you saying we’re having twins?" Lukas asks the technician.

  "Yes, I would start preparing for two of everything," she responds to Lukas. After finishing the ultrasound, she takes us to an examination room to wait for the doctor.

  While we are waiting, Lukas keeps looking at my stomach and rubbing it gently. He has a smile that stretches across his entire face. "Wow, I’m so happy. I know the thought of two babies is scary, but we’ll get used to it. We are getting two for the price of one. I can't wait."

  I'm a nervous wreck as we wait for Dr. Smith; I want to know everything is okay with our babies. When Dr. Smith walks into the room, she has a big smile on her face, and her smile goes a long way to reassuring me.

  "Well, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan, it looks like everything is going really well with your babies. From the measurements we took on the ultrasound, your babies look to be around nine weeks along. I'm going to estimate your due date to be around October 10.”

  She hands Lukas some paperwork and proceeds to tell us, “You may soon start experiencing more morning sickness and more signs of pregnancy. These are all normal and explained in the information I handed Mr. Ryan. There will be some tips on how to lessen the severity of all of these also. Congratulations again, and please feel free to give the office a call with any concerns you have."

  After the nurse comes in to talk about appointments, we are ready to leave, and I think we both feel a lot better but are still way overwhelmed.

  When we get to the car, Lukas opens the door for me, and as I'm stepping in, he grabs my face and gives me a soft kiss. “I’m so happy. I know two babies are quite a surprise to both of us, but I can’t wait to have these babies with you."

  The tears start flowing down my cheeks, and Lukas looks over at me questioningly when he gets in the other side. I try to smile through the tears. "Damn pregnancy hormones. I’m so happy, too. You have seven more months to look forward to weepy old me."

  "I think dealing with weepy old you will be well worth it, and I’ll find a way to deal with you.” I melt a little bit right there on the spot.

  "Now, let me take you out to lunch somewhere before my munchkins make you sick to your stomach again. We need to go celeb
rate." I'm so happy and so in love. Things couldn't get much better.

  Ever since we found out about the babies, Lukas has been extra sweet, but he also seems to be so preoccupied with the whole Marta situation. He leaves early in the morning and stays out until late at night almost every day of the week. We've been spending the weekends making plans to turn my old suite into a nursery and play area for the babies.

  One Saturday afternoon, Lukas takes me to shop for the babies at a new baby store called Baby Chic. I'm overwhelmed with everything we're going to have to get for our little ones before they come. Lukas assures me we have plenty of time and will be more than ready. I wander through the adorable outfits, and I lose sight of Lukas. When I turn to show him a set of twin outfits, he's nowhere to be found. Grabbing the clothes, I search for him and find him looking at a twin stroller with an aggressive saleslady trying to get his attention. She could be a supermodel, and she keeps trying to brush up against my husband while he ignores her.

  After walking up to Lukas, I hold up the outfits and ask, "Don't you think these would be cute on the babies?"

  He takes the sleepers out of my hand, holds them up in front of my stomach, and looks at them for a minute. Then he looks up at me with his smirk and says, "We will have to wait until they get here for me to give you my honest opinion."

  I start laughing, and I smack him on the shoulder. He laughs with me and gives me a big kiss. He looks over at the saleslady, and she has an annoyed look on her face, and he asks her, "Was there a reason you are standing by us?"

  "I wanted to see if you needed any help picking out a stroller for your sister," the sly bitch has the nerve to say to him.